Press Release:
EBSCO Information Services
[June 26, 2018]

Copyright (c) 2018 EBSCO Information Services

Abstract: EBSCO Information Services and the Graphic Novel Committee of the Children’s Book Council announced The Witch Boy, by Molly Knox Ostertag, as the 2018 recipient of the second annual SEE-IT™ Award. The SEE-IT Award recognizes outstanding achievements of authors and illustrators in youth graphic novels.

IPSWICH, Mass. — June 25, 2018. EBSCO Information Services and the Graphic Novel Committee of the Children's Book Council announced The Witch Boy, by Molly Knox Ostertag, as the 2018 recipient of the second annual SEE-IT Award. The SEE-IT Award recognizes outstanding achievements of authors and illustrators in youth graphic novels.

The winner of the 2018 SEE-IT Award ("Stories Engagingly Expressed-Illustratively Told") was announced by EBSCO and the Children's Book Council at EBSCO's School and Public Library Luncheon at ALA Annual in New Orleans, Louisiana. Finalists, announced in April 2018, included:

The SEE-IT Award is an annual book award developed by EBSCO and the Children's Book Council to recognize the cultural and literary impacts of youth graphic novels. Youth graphic novels are highly appealing to visual learners and increasingly used in public libraries and classrooms to engage young readers, boost reading comprehension and help students develop a life-long love of reading.

John Meier, Science Librarian at the Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library at the Pennsylvania State Library and SEE-IT award judge, says that although The Witch Boy is a fantastic adventure of shapeshifters and magic users, what truly makes this book memorable is how real the characters and situations are. "In addition to Molly Knox Ostertag's captivating artwork, her characters have depth and struggles that pull readers' attention and emotions. Aster as a boy is taunted for not fitting into the gender roles of his family's expectations and Charlie, his friend in the "outside world", doesn't conform either. We can all remember awkward times growing up. So, all ages will enjoy this book, but not every child or adult will have the same experience in reading. That is not easy as a writer or an artist, and Ostertag has done both."

EBSCO Information Services Vice President of Product Management for Books, Ken Breen, says the SEE-IT Award recognizes the impact that graphic novels have on youth reading habits. "Graphic novels, because they are so visually engaging, have the ability to connect a reader to the story in a way that draws in young readers. We were glad to support this award in its second year and help celebrate the rise of this popular medium."

A total of 125 submissions from more than 30 publishers were evaluated by a panel of nine librarian jurors, with each submission weighted against the following criteria:

Literary quality

Interweaving of art and story

Lasting impact and distinguished contributions to youth literature

An audience range of K-12, or young readers through young adults

The 2019 SEE-IT Award will begin soliciting publisher submissions in October. More information is available on the SEE-IT website (https://www.ebsco.com/see-it).

About EBSCO Information Services

EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the leading discovery service provider for libraries worldwide with more than 11,000 discovery customers in over 100 countries. EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) provides each institution with a comprehensive, single search box for its entire collection, offering unparalleled relevance ranking quality and extensive customization. EBSCO is also the preeminent provider of online research content for libraries, including hundreds of research databases, historical archives, point-of-care medical reference, and corporate learning tools serving millions of end users at tens of thousands of institutions. EBSCO is the leading provider of electronic journals & books for libraries, with subscription management for more than 360,000 serials, including more than 57,000 e-journals, as well as online access to more than 1,000,000 e-books. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com. EBSCO Information Services is a division of EBSCO Industries Inc., a family owned company since 1944.